Ethical Code And Police Discipline

There would come a time to test the officer’s ethics, and it is up to the officers to ensure that their moral standards do not deteriorate throughout their careers. Many police find themselves in situations where they must make ethical decisions, and whether or not they are making the proper decision depends on the officer’s ethics. And this decision is critical and will have a significant impact on both his official and personal life. So before writing your police officer resume, try absorbing the moral standards a police officer should have.

Because of the nature of the job of a police officer, there are numerous situations when they may face an ethical problem. And the rising question is when an officer will encounter one. He has alluded to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics throughout his officer career, and it is a code representing everything a police officer ought to be. The Peace Officer’s Research Association of California formed this code in 1956 and has since spread throughout the country to police departments and their officers.

A Police Officer’s duties and Standards of Conduct:

A police officer must behave so that he maintains the trust and regard that his job requires. Here are some of the obligations that police officers must be mindful of and strive to fulfill: A police officer must not:

1. Act or use damaging language based on color, sex, race, sexual orientation, language, age,  religious or political convictions, social condition, civil status, pregnancy, ethnic or national origin;
2. Use vulgar, profane, or abusive words.
3. In his interactions with the public, a police officer must avoid using the words “abuse of authority.” A police officer shall not:

• Use more force than necessary to achieve what is required or permitted.
• Threaten, intimidate, or harass anyone.
• Bring a false charge against anyone.
• Abuse his authority to collect a statement or detain anyone who is not under arrest in an attempt to interrogate him.

1. When utilizing a weapon or other equipment, a police officer must use discretion and caution. As a result, a police officer may not display, handle, or point a firearm without cause.
2. A law enforcement officer must carry out his duty with honesty. They shall not: deliberately damage or destroy any person’s property, illegally dispose of any person’s property, or intentionally file a false or inaccurate report or suggestion concerning any person.
3. be unpleasant or impolite to anyone
4. When asked to present the proper identification, he fails or refuses.

The most ignored areas of police work:

1. code of ethics
2. oath of office

These two documents address the most critical issues of integrity and truth that a police force has with the community that it serves. Most police departments have ignored these concerns and are unaware of their impact on the communities they represent.

According to studies, the public is highly skeptical of various professions, including law enforcement. They can solve this problem if police agencies better train and educate officers about the Police Oath of Office and the Code of Ethics.

People argue that the police department frequently considers corruption when dealing with criminals. Corruption is a form of depravity, and all corrupt behaviors are subtypes of immoral actions. However, not all infidelity is evil, nor are all terrible behaviors, is unethical. Minor, unlawful conduct by a police officer, for example, may be considered immoral without constituting an act of corruption.

In addition, negligent activities are occasionally unethical but not always corrupt. Corrupt activities have several characteristics that other immoral behaviors do not have, such as

1. Narrow, personal, or communal self-interest generally prompts corruption. An example is career progress, or it can also be a group of employees’ financial gain.
2. Corruption entails the officer displaying a consistent personality or behavior;
3. Corruption is rampant when the law is perceived as hopelessly insufficient and incurable, for instance, when criminals go unpunished.

A police officer’s duty includes making ethical and moral judgments. Throughout their career, they will undoubtedly face the officer with similar decisions. In most circumstances, the officer’s decision will decide their fate as an officer, which would either reinforce or undermine their ethical ideals. Particular emphasis is also being focused on ethical training, leading to most officers receiving it throughout their careers. Unfortunately, these initiatives have not been able to pick out all of the bad apples in the field, but they have worked to make the police on the streets more conscious of the moral and ethical issues. This training benefits the police officer, department, and the community, which police have promised to protect.